Car-door mechanism.



PATEHTBD AUG. 14, 1906 A. CHRISTIANSON.

GAR DGUR MECHANISM.

APSLIQATIUH 11.31) APR. 21. 1906.

2 SHEET-SHEET I wrmfgs zs.

M f c Z md PATBNTED Mia. 14, 1906.

v A GHRISTIANSON. OAR DGOR MECHANISM.

nruommu FILED APu.21.1eos.

FIG. 4

WNEES.

Q. A 2136 116; Zara-W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFH E.

ANDREW CHRISTIANSON. OF BU'iL'Ell. PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIHNOR TO STANDARD STEEL (JAR COMPANY, A CORPORATION 01* PENNSYL- VANIA.

CAR-DOOR MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1906.

Application filed April 21. 1906, Saris-1K0. 313,081.

Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the foi to be a full, clear, and exact descrip' lowing1 tion t ereof. 4

This invention relates to door-operating mechanism, and especially meohenisrii f0!" operating flush horizontal drop-doors for list bottom railway-cars.

The object of the invention is to provide mechanism for this purpose which is simple and cheer of construction and wherein the door is he d in closed position by means inde pendent of the liftin connection sons to re love the letter from esvy strsins;

To this end the invention consists, generally stated, of'a lifting-shcit connected to the door, and independent door-locking means ogereble both for locking and unlocking from e lifting-shaft.

The invention also comprises certain errcn ements and construction of parts, hereina ter described and claimed.

In thenccompenying drawin s, Figure 1 is a plan view, a part being bro en away, of.

one-fourth of a, metallic gondola cs1- provided with dro -doors and showing my invention op lied t oreto. Fig. 2 is a side view,'on an e arged scale of the door-operating mechanism, apart being in section. lug. 3 is a. cross-section throu h the car and a door, showing the same closed. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the door when nearing closed position. Fig. 5 is a. similar view showing the door open. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6 6, Fig. 2; and Figs. 7 and 8 are vertical sections token, respectively, on the lines e 7 7 and 8 8, Fig. 3.

The invention is shown applied to an allmetal Ygondola. car provided with drop-doors, but 0 viously can be applied to various forms of cars. The car shown is provided with center sills 1 body-bolsters 2, and inter mediate cross-bearers or floor-supports 4'.

The floor 5 of the car is provided with a. series of drop-doors 6, the drawings showing a series of such doors extendin on either side of the center sills between t e body-bolsters. These doors are hinged at 7 on brackets or 10 itself, soc

drawings showing for this castings 8, secured to the outer faces of the center sills, and are arranged to have their outer edges drop to discharge the load. As illustrated, a door is placed between adjacent pairs of crossbcarers or floor-supports.

The door-operating mechanism comprises *a lifting-shaft 10, extending longitudinally of the car and mounted in suitable bearings secured to the outer ends of the body-bol end cross-bearers. This shaft is connected to the door by suitehle lifting reens, such esthe chains 1 l or other suitable Horrible con 'nectors, which are arranged to wind upon drums 12, secured to the winding shaft. The" rotation of the shaft winds up these chains end closes the door in the usual way.

In order to look the doors in closed osition and take the strain off the lifting-c ains, I provide suitable latches or bolts 14, mounted to slide in suitable hearings or hangers 15 and 16, secured to the lower feces of the doors and crrsn ed to be projected outwardly beyond the e ges of the doors and eng e suitable stctioncr supports; such as the l ing-shaft itself. e winding-choinsll are attached directly to theselatches or bolts-such as to lugs 17, formed on the letterso thstin'the pull outwardiy preeticolly in a. direct line on engagement with the Su te is steps 18 prevent t being pulled too far out.

The ends of the latches may be projected above any suitable stationary support, such as e stirrup or hanger secured to the car-body, but preferabl are supported from the shaft es by restin upon suitable gears 20, secured to the s A t. These gears nn e teeth 21, formed on the outer ends on lower feces of the latches and serve to ]push said latches positively inwardly to unock the door when the jwmding-shoft is to teted beckwardly. The winding-shaft can be rotated by any suitable mechanism, the

cos a ratchetwheel 33 secured to the s a and e by a pawl 24 on a lever 25. A pawl 26 is so provided for looking the shaft against accide'n'tal rotation.

sup orting means. lie latches from en the. doors ere open, the rotation store The Wration of the mechanism is as follows:

these latches and slide them outwardly into of the shaft winds up the chains 11, thus raising the doors. As the doors approach a horizontal position the chains pull outwardly practically in a straight line, thus drawing the latches 14 outwardly and projecting their ends above the shaft 10 or other support. The engagement of the gears 20 with the rack-teeth 21 guide and assist the latches in their outward movement. closed, the weight of the lading is taken off the chains 1]. and the doors are supported from the shaft 10. To unlock the doors, the shaft 10 is rotated backwardly, and the interengaging gears 20 and racks 21 cause the latches to be pushed inwardly until they clear the shaft 10, when the doors drop to open position by gravity.

The door-operating mechanism described comprises a minimum number of parts and is therefore economical of construction and application. All of said parts are of simple construction, so that derangemeent is practically impossible, and the doors are ositively locked in closed position, so that t ere is no danger of the accidental dischar e of the ladin on account of the failure 0 the Winding-c ains or their connections. All of the operatin mechanism is located practically within t e outer face of the car sides, so that it is protected from injury, and this also permits a' maximum width of car-body.

While in the drawings the mechanism is shown applied to horizontal doors mounted on pivots extending longitudinally of the car, it will be understood that the same arrangement can be used with inclined doors or doors mounted on pivots extending transversely of the car, the lifting-shaft in the latter case also extending transversely of the car. Furthermore, while the latches are shown as supported by gears on the winding-shaft it will be understood that they might be supported by any suitable stationary support, such as han ers secured to the car-body.

hat I claim is 1. Car-door mechanism comprising a winding-shaft, flexible connections therefrom to the door, and door-locking means operated from said winding-shaft.

2. Car-door mechanism comprising a lifting-shaft, connections therefrom to the door, lock ng means for the door, and connections from the lifting-shaft for operating' said locking means and arranged to move the same to locking position at the end of the closing movement of the door.

3. Car-door mechanism comprising a winding-shaft, llexible connectionstherefrom to the door, locking means for the door, and connections from the wimling-shaft for operating said locking means.

4. Car-door mechanism comprising a liftin -shaft, connections therefrom to the door, a latch for locking said door in closed position, and connections from the lifting-shaft When fully for operating said latch and arran ed to move the same to locking position at t e end of the closing movement 01 the door.

5. Oar-door mechanism comprising a winding-shaft, flexible connections therefrom to the door, a latch for locking the door in closed position, and connections from the Winding-shaft for operating said latch.

6. Car-door mechanism comprising a winding-shaft, flexible connections therefrom to the door, and independent means actuated from the shaft for supporting the door in closed position from the shaft.

7. Car-door mechanism comprising a lifting-shaft, connections therefrom to the door, and a latch arranged to support the door in closed position from the lifting-shaft.

8. Cardoor mechanism comprising a lifting-shaft, connections therefrom to the door, means for supporting the door in closed osition from said shaft, and connections w ereby said supporting means is operated from the lifting-shaft.

9. Car-door mechanism comprising a lifting-shaft, connections therefrom to the door, a latch for supporting the doorin closed position from said shaft, and connections for operating said latch from said shaft.

10. Car-door mechanism comprising a lifting-shaft, connections therefrom to the door, a lock for su porting the door in closed position, and loc -actuating connections between said lock and the means connecting the door and shaft and arranged to move the lock to locking position at the end of the closing movement of the door 11. Car-door mechanism comprising a winding-shaft, a flexible connection therefrom to the door, a latch for supporting the door in closed osition, and connections be tween said late 1 and flexible connection.

12. Car-door mechanism comprising a lifting-shaft, a flexible connector between the same and the door, a lock mounted on the door and arranged to support the same in closed osition, and connections between said loci: and said llcxihle connector and arranged to move the same to locking position at the end of the closing movement of the door.

13. Car-door mechanism comprising a whirling-shaft, llcxiblc connection-s therefrom to the door, means for locking the door in closed position, and connections llpfiififflll by the winding-shaft l'or releasing, said lock.

14. Car-door mechanism comprising a liftin -shal't, connections therefrom to the door, a ock for suppor-tiln, the door in closed position, and a raek-and-pinion comiection between the shaft and said lock.

15. Car-door mechanism comprising a lift ilW-shaft, wnnections therefrom to the door, a latch arranged to support the door in itsclosed position, a pinion on the shaft, and a rack on the latch engaging said pinion.

16. Car-door mechanism eomggrising eliftand intererigaging meefis between the shaft 10 ing-shaft, a flexlble connector etween the and latch for z'etraetingthelatter.

same and the door, a look on the door, eon- In testimony whereof I, the said ANDREW nections between Elbe lock and sefi fiexiglle CHRISTIANSON, have hereunto set my hand.

connector, and ot er connections opera. e

from the lifting-shaft for releasing said 106k. ANDREW CHRISTIANSON' 17. Car-door mechanism comprising a lift- Witnesses:

ing-shaft, a lookingJeteh on the door, a fiexi- C. M. STEms,

ble connector connecting said shaft and lock, W; R. COWDEN. 

